Hundreds rally against Seattle insurer Regence BlueShield

[flamingyouth]

A few hundred protesters, with some donned in pirate outfits, rallied Saturday outside Regence BlueShield's headquarters and called on the Seattle-based insurer to reverse course after raising individual rates an average 19 percent last month.

"We are here to demand an end to insurance piracy," said Maribel Peralez, a Lynnwood resident and one of the speakers during the 45-minute morning rally.

The co-called "Pirates of the Health Care-ibbean" protest began with a march from Seattle University, and it included churches, labor unions, health-care providers and advocates. Demonstrators also called for universal health care.

It was spurred by Regence's decision to increase individual plans in July, with some policyholders seeing rates increase more than 40 percent at the same time the company has $890 million in capital and surplus funds. The state Insurance Commissioner has no authority to review rates.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/326435_regencyra...

I wish I'd known about this rally. I have to pay for my own insurance and this increase is just horrible.

[eridani]

1. It was in the Events thread

I've started a separate one for health care events.

[flamingyouth]

2. Oh thanks.

I usually read it but hadn't checked it for a while.

[eridani]

3. An invitation to all regular readers of the Washington forum

The events thread consists of stuff that I get notified about by email. I can't possibly go to all of them, so I figured that posting them on a large site with 100,000+ members might get the word out--I don't like to forward emails as I figure that anyone on my personal list who is interested in the issues is probably already on the same lists that I'm on.

If any of you would like to do likewise, please add event notices.

[The empressof all]

5. A very quick THANK YOU!

I really appreciate you adding this info here. I love being able to have a central location for all this info and I'm afraid I've now become quite dependent upon you for this.

[BobS]

4. Wish I'd have known about this, they need more protesting

We had them for the past 2 years until just recently, by far the worst insurance I've ever had.

[sneakythomas]

6. I lost my temper (a rare event) with one of their accountants

about twenty years ago. I've been working in accounting at various companies (mostly real estate) around town for some time. In this case Regence threatened to shut off the insurance for all our employees because we were behind on payments. I knew we weren't so after a number of increasinly angry (on their part) calls, I'm working through the history with a Regence a/r person. We hit one month were she says she doesn't have a check that I show we sent them. So I go through the canceled checks find it and call her back.

Regence: "We don't have that check."

Sneaky: "It was paid on xx/xx/xx"

Regence: "We never got it."

Sneaky: "I have the canceled check in my hand, it was processed by our bank on yy/yy/yy" (about three days after it was cut)

Regence: "I'm not seeing that."

Sneaky: "Maybe I need to bring it over there and shove it somewhere where you can see it."